‘Married at First Sight’: Dr. Pepper Schwartz Once Explained What She’s Looking for When Matching Couples
What does it take to find a perfect match for Married at First Sight? Pairing up couples takes a lot of work, as the show’s experts know. Dr. Pepper Schwartz is a sociologist and relationship expert who has been with the Lifetime reality series from the beginning. While she knows that there’s no guarantee that the couples who say “I do” will stay together forever, she does keep certain things in mind when helping to choose who appears on the show.
Dr. Pepper Schwartz of ‘Married at First Sight’ says some aspects of the matchmaking process have changed over the years
Married at First Sight is a high-stakes social experiment, with couples who appear on the show agreeing to get legally married to a complete stranger. The core concept has stayed the same since MAFS premiered on FYI in 2014. (It moved to Lifetime starting with season 5.) But there have been some tweaks, such as adding more questions to the interview process and keeping a closer eye out for potential red flags that suggest someone isn’t a good person.
Another change? A deeper dive into prospective Married at First Sight cast members’ backgrounds.
“We do more in-depth background checks,” Schwartz told FYI in 2016. “If we see even a small potential problem in a candidate, we spend more time on finding out how it might affect a spouse and if we decide it is a significant issue, we are more likely to avoid matching that person.”
Unfortunately, those in-depth background checks don’t always sort out all the bad apples. Married at First Sight Season 7 bride Mia Bally was detained at the airport on her way to the honeymoon due to an outstanding warrant. That incident led to another change in the show’s procedures. Now, background checks are conducted right before the wedding to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, according to former MAFS expert Dr. Viviana Coles.
Dr. Pepper says potential ‘MAFS’ cast members can’t have too many dealbreakers
When it comes to matchmaking, Dr. Pepper told FYI she was looking to pair people with “similar values and goals.” They need to be headed in the same direction in their lives and also have a strong family background. Being an all-around nice person doesn’t hurt either.
“A strong, loving relationship with at least one parent or family system is usually important,” she said. “If they love animals, or do good work, or in some way, show heart and compassion, I am disposed towards them.”
When casting Married at First Sight, Dr. Pepper also looks for “people who take care of themselves. They do not have to be beautiful or handsome, but they have to take pride in themselves.”
The ‘Married at First Sight’ expert watches out for certain red flags
Not everyone seeking to get Married at First Sight is a good fit for the show.
“If they have never had a serious relationship and worked at it, that worries me,” Dr. Pepper said. (Though that didn’t prevent commitment-shy Mitch from season 15 from getting matched.)
People with endless lists of dealbreakers are also “almost impossible to match,” she said. A person’s preferences regarding race, religion, and even smoking are taken into account. However, the experts get concerned about other, more superficial dealbreakers.
“What makes us uncomfortable is when the dealbreakers are on things we don’t consider are central to a happy marriage–such as dealbreakers about height, hair color, or distance,” she said.
Finally, people who are only applying to be on TV tend to get weeded out of the process.
It’s a red flag if “looking for some fame of some sort,” Schwartz told E! News in 2018. “For somebody who really thinks this is a way to some kind of career path, I think there are easier and less risky ways!”
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